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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721775">Lullaby</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest_person_in_Wonderland/pseuds/bravest_person_in_Wonderland'>bravest_person_in_Wonderland</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bandstand - Oberacker/Oberacker &amp; Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insomnia, Late at Night, My First Work in This Fandom, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, in which the author attempts to write fic for a fandom she joined three days ago, that one really be my signature tag huh, what's with me and going heart and soul into underrated fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:47:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,205</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721775</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest_person_in_Wonderland/pseuds/bravest_person_in_Wonderland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"Close your eyes, go to sleep<br/>Not a word, not a peep<br/>Throw away what you fear<br/>When you wake, I'll be here."</em>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donny Novitski &amp; Julia Trojan, Donny Novitski/Julia Trojan, Julia Trojan/Michael Trojan (past), The Donny Nova Band &amp; Julia Trojan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lullaby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I listened to Bandstand three times in two days then stumbled across <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/25W20POyRiBF4YmzK9SGJ1?si=uxOABArQSOyOHBXhGabpzw">this song</a> and immediately decided that Julia would totally sing it to Donny to help him sleep. Cue my own sleep deprivation (I stay up way too late reading lol oops) and here I am once again posting a super self-indulgent fic for an extremely small fandom at 2 in the morning. </p><p>This takes place while the DNB is on tour, I didn't specify a location bc... uh mostly bc I forgot, but it doesn't really matter bc the whole fic happens in a hotel room XD</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Touring with the band was exhausting, but Julia still couldn't fall asleep. She couldn't pin down any one thing keeping her awake tonight, so perhaps it was the exhaustion itself. She had heard that it was possible to be so tired that you couldn't fall asleep. Or the constant looking forward to the next day, exploring all these new places and meeting new people and playing shows. </p><p>There were footsteps in the hotel hall. The bandmates were all on the same floor, the boys sharing a suite with Julia in her own room next door. This was their usual arrangement, out of courtesy and for propriety's sake, but she had learned by now, after so many nights in hotels together, how to tell them apart by the sound of their footsteps. </p><p>Davy's steps were heavier than the others', sometimes unsteady if he had had more than usual to drink. Jimmy tread the lightest, sometimes barely audible. Johnny shuffled, his steps short. Nick walked with a sometimes-false confidence that sounded like a swagger. Wayne took longer steps than the rest, each one evenly measured. </p><p>The footsteps Julia heard outside in the hall this time were Donny's, even, but cautious. She wasn't entirely surprised. The fear of nightmares and memories usually kept him awake until he physically couldn't carry on, and it broke Julia's heart to see the shadows under his eyes so often. She heard his steps falter as they came nearer her door, then he walked by. </p><p>She gave him 30 seconds to pace to the end of the hall before coming back this way again and she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Her cardigan was draped over the back of the hotel chair, and she pulled it on over her nightgown as she stood and moved to the door. </p><p>Donny's footsteps had faded from her hearing when he reached the other end of the hallway, but when she heard him come near again, she opened the door. Donny's eyes widened as he saw her. </p><p>"Aw shoot, did I-" </p><p>"I was already awake," she said quickly. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?" </p><p>Donny shrugged. "Nah. The usual," he added, not meeting her gaze. "You?" </p><p>Julia crossed her arms over the front of her sweater and leaned against the doorframe. "I'm not sure," she mused. "You'd think I'd be out like a light after the past week, but for some reason-" she shrugged, mimicking his earlier motion with a tired half-smile. "Donny?" </p><p>He glanced up at her. "Hm?" </p><p>"Are you alright?" </p><p>"Am I ever?" </p><p>"That's not a real answer and you know it," she responded, worry creeping unbidden into her voice. </p><p>"No," Donny sighed after a long pause. He rubbed a hand down his face. "I'm <em>tired."</em> </p><p>Julia pushed the door open wider. "Come on," she said. "Come in, it's alright." </p><p>Donny evidently had learned by now not to argue, because he obeyed without protest and sat down next to Julia on her bed. </p><p>"You want to talk about it?" Julia asked as she leaned back against the headboard. She was perfectly ready and willing to accept whatever answer he may give. Caring for the guys, and especially Donny, had been therapeutic for her after losing Michael. She knew it wasn't good to keep things internalized -- why, she herself had had to learn it in order to truly begin to heal. Talking to her mother, and to Donny, had been instrumental in coping with her grief. </p><p>But she also knew that there were times when talking was too much. Sometimes you just needed to sit quietly with someone without the pressure of conversation. Gently, she took Donny's hand and tugged him closer to her so that they were both leaning back against the wall, their shoulders pressed together. </p><p>"I just wanna <em>sleep,"</em> he hissed. "Without having to remember." </p><p>Julia stayed quiet. She wasn't going to try and give him answers or words of comfort, she had learned by now that that didn't often help. </p><p>"Even on the nights I can get to sleep, it only lasts- I dunno, an hour? Maybe two, before the-" he broke off and squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head in a motion that made Julia understand that if he talked about it any more, this night would only get worse. </p><p>"I'm tired," he muttered again, letting loose a quiet groan of frustration and sliding down the headboard a bit. Without thinking, Julia pulled him close and shifted so his head rested on her shoulder. He stiffened, but then relaxed into her embrace. </p><p>Julia absently stroked his arm with her thumb, trying hard not to think of Michael in that moment. She wondered what he would think of this, of- her and Donny. Neither of them was sure of what their relationship was, at this point. They knew what they felt, had even briefly discussed it. They tried to take it slowly, neither wanting to push boundaries or harm their friendship, but in times like this... it was hard, for Julia at least, because all she wanted was to make all of this alright for Donny. Was that so wrong? </p><p>A song came to her, something she had thought up one afternoon just after her marriage to Michael, when she had been daydreaming about their future children. Before the war came and everything had fallen apart. </p><p><em>"Close your eyes, go to sleep<br/>
Not a word, not a peep<br/>
Throw away what you fear<br/>
When you wake, I'll be here,"</em> she hummed the words, almost surprised she remembered them after all this time. She couldn't recall having written the lyrics down. </p><p><em>"You will dream of a land<br/>
Where the birds build a band<br/>
Dancing bears, little sheep<br/>
Lots of toys you can keep-"</em> her voice broke, hardly noticeable, almost a wry laugh in her tone, grieving for the family she didn't get to raise. </p><p><em>"You will fly through the air<br/>
Blowing wind in your hair<br/>
On a rock, flying fast<br/>
Leave this world in the past."</em> The words were nonsense, silly phrases patchworked together to fit the meter, but Julia sang them with all the quiet emotion in her heart. Donny's chest rose and fell in easy breaths, and she smiled at the thought that he might get some sleep tonight. </p><p><em>"Go to sleep<br/>
little you<br/>
Know that I<br/>
Love<br/>
You,"</em> she sang this in almost a whisper, unsure if Donny was really asleep, but... the words were true, no matter how much guilt or trepidation that acknowledgement might cause her. For some reason -- for many reasons -- a tear ran down her cheek. </p><p>
  <em>"Close your eyes, go to sleep<br/>
Not a word, not a peep<br/>
Throw away what you fear<br/>
When you wake, I'll be here."</em>
</p><p>Donny was asleep, well and truly. She could tell by the rise and fall of his chest, the way his weight rested against her. Maybe the dark circles wouldn't be completely erased in the morning, but some rest was better than no rest, and it tugged at those strings deep in Julia's chest to see him so... peaceful. She rested her cheek against his head and shut her eyes, wordlessly humming the melody of her daydream lullaby until she, too, drifted off.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please note that I have not seen Bandstand, just listened to the OBCR and read a bunch of posts about it, so if there are discrepancies... I'm really sorry. I tried really hard to keep this in-character but like i said in the tags, I am VERY new to this fandom, so comments and criticisms are welcomed! </p><p>(Also if anyone has a link to the proshot, I'd love it if you were willing to share ;) )</p><p>Edit 12.05.20 - I found the proshot, muahahaha... I'm gonna possibly watch it over Christmas break, no promises, but I will try. ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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